That Hermione Granger
by skeeterbug22
Summary: A fluffy little short about the infamous Slytherin Prince hiding feelings from a certain Gryffindor XDraco/Hermione xDraco/OC


Draco Malfoy sat in the Hogwarts library and wondered how this had happened to him. It wasn't fair, really. He was being good this time. He had come back to school, made head boy (and was being a bloody good one at that), he was working hard in all his classes, and he had even made an effort with his classmates. He was trying, really trying, to be a good guy. The 'new Draco', not 'the Slytherin Prince'. So what in the world has he done to end up with a problem like this?! He continued to stare at her until she turned. Chocolate brown eyes met slivery grey and she flushed, turning away. Merlin's beard! Why did this have to happen to him?!

As he walked to his transfiguration class, he still thought about it. Why her? Why now? "Malfoy!" a female voice called out to him. His heart skipped a beat, but when he turned he was looking into a pair of bright blue eyes, not the warm brown eyes he secretly wanted. "Oh, er, hi Melody." The slytherin girl rolled her eyes, "Great to see you too." Melody was an exchange student from America and one of the best friends Draco had made since his return to Hogwarts. "So let me guess," she smiled knowingly, "you've been thinking about your little problem?" Draco slumped against the nearest wall, "It's getting beyond ridiculous!" he complained. Melody nodded, patting his shoulder. She was the only one who knew about his secret. The classroom door opened and students began to shuffle inside. Melody was whisked in with the crowd, "We'll talk later!" she called, "I think I can help!" Draco ran a hand through his hair, desperate for anything that might help.

That night, Melody payed a visit to the head's dorm. The two Slytherin's often did their homework together in the common room. Tonight though, there was a very different feel in the air. They usually spoke with ease. Melody's father had been a death eater too, but on the american side. Despite her upbringing, Melody was a bubbly and happy girl. Her kindness and sense of humor were good for Draco, keeping him from slipping into his own tormented thoughts. "So," Melody tucked her legs up on the couch and stared intently at Draco, "Let's talk through this, huh? When did you first notice that you might fancy G-"

"Don't say it!" He hissed, looking franticly up at the head girl's dorm. Melody rolled her eyes, "She's not here, you spaz! I already checked."

"Oh…" Draco felt his stomach unclench. Melody tossed her golden hair over her shoulder and looked seriously at the boy in front of her, "Say her name Draco." He looked appalled. Saying her name aloud would make everything real. "Don't associate her with fear, Drake." Melody shook her head, "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Draco winced. _She_ had said those very words to his father. So brave, so foolish. "Draco?" Melody looked at him worriedly.

"Third year." He said quietly, "In my third year of Hogwarts I started to notice, really notice, Hermione Granger."

He didn't have _feelings_ for her, thank Merlin, but he did start to notice little things about her. She wasn't beautiful or anything, but she certainly wasn't as ugly as he often made her out to be. "It was her hair." He said, reflecting, "It wasn't so bushy. I noticed because she would huff at me and toss her hair as she turned away. One day, I took it too far and she-" he grinned at the memory, "she slapped me. Right across the face. Called me a 'foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach. I was, of course, outraged. She dare slap me? It was embarrassing! Deep down, though, I was impressed. Granger had guts." Melody watched his face as the smile faded and his eyes darkened, new memories coming to him. "That summer was the year that the DeathEaters began to stir. I found myself thinking of Granger more. She was smart, she was brave, and bloody hell, she was even fairly pretty. She just didn't match up with my father's description of muggle borns….. I paid dearly for questioning him." Melody's hand flew to her mouth, thinking of the scar across Draco's back. "You never told me- you never said-" Draco smiled kindly at her and brushed a strand of hair from her face. His fingers grazed over a small scar in her eyebrow and another just below her temple. "You aren't the only one hiding from your past." He reminded her softly. Melody ducked her head and cleared her throat. "So, you were thinking more about Granger…?" Draco ran a hand through his own hair, "That was the summer of the Quidditch World Cup-" Melody gasped, interrupting him again, "I was there! Dad made me stay with the Salem witches, saying he 'forgot something' but I knew he was up to something. I had no idea that your dad was involved too." Draco laughed harshly, "Involved? My father ARRANGED the whole thing. I was to go stay in the woods and keep out of sight. That's when I saw her. She was with Potter and Weasley. I had to warn them, make sure they hid her from the death eaters. Lucky for them they did… course, it would've made an excellent excuse to hex them." He smirked for a minute enjoying the idea, when a small cough from Melody brought him back to the present. Draco pulled himself from the image of Weasley suffering a jelly-legs jinx, "Right, lets see… oh!" His eyes got a far away look, "Of course… that was the year of the Yule Ball… That's when it happened. The moment I caught sight of her… Mel, she was stunning! My fourteen year old self and never seen someone so beautiful." Melody smiled at his fond, far off look. She frowned when his face fell. His eyes hardened, "This is ridiculous. She will never feel the same way."

"Draco-" Melody reached out to him but Draco jerked away from her, "No! Don't you get it?! Mel, I was a monster to that poor girl! I verbally abused her, i did everything I could to ruin her life and on top of all of that: I was a Death Eater! I'm one of the bad guys! I helped torture people! I'm part of the reason so many people died! I helped the man who wanted to destroy everything she cared about!" Melody rushed to him as he crumpled and held tight to his shaking frame. "I hated it." he mumbled into her hair. She felt hot tears on her neck. "I hated it." he said again, "I didn't really want to do those awful things, but they forced me to. They forced me to watch as my Aunt Bellatrix tortured Granger… I can still hear her screams in my nightmares… why would anyone want to love me after all the horrible things I've done?" Melody was at a loss for words. She opened her mouth to speak but, suddenly, her body went ridged. Draco looked up, alarmed, "Mel?" She stared strait ahead as if petrified and her unseeing eyes turned so intensely blue, they seemed to glow. "Oh shit." Draco muttered. Melody was a seer. Her predictions were few and never very dramatic. She could see who would get the first cold of winter or who would when peeves was waiting with a bucket of iceboater. Draco never lost a bet on the quidditch matches now; one of the advantages of having your best friend be a seer. He leaned forward now and griped her shoulders, waiting patiently. Melody drew a shuttering breath. When she spoke, it was as if three voices were speaking at once. Draco flinched at the sound but listened, a bit nervously, to the prediction.

"_Love shall find him and steal his heart away, but the one he so desires, is not the love to stay. Enemies unite, much heartache lies in store and the one that you call friend will change forever more….."_

Melody shuttered and collapsed into Draco's arms. His heart pounded violently in his chest and his only thought was to scoop Melody up and run her to the hospital wing. He was two steps from the portrait hole when she opened her eyes with a gasp. Draco skidded to a stop and she looked around worriedly. "Talk to me Mel," Draco looked over his best friend, "Are you alright?"

"I- I think so…" she put a hand to her heart, "I haven't had a full blown prediction since before the war… why are you carrying me?"

"Oh!" Draco gently placed her onto the sofa, "I was taking you to the hospital wing- I still think I should." Melody waved her hand weakly, "Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine-"

"Mel, you weren't breathing!" Melody rolled her eyes, now back to normal. "Oh Draco don't be so dramatic. I'm perfectly fine." She stood but fell immediately back into Draco's waiting arms.

"Sure," he smirked, "perfectly fine."

"I'm just drained." She protested, "With a little rest I'll be back to normal in no time. What I really want to know is what I predicted. "

"Hospital wing first," Draco ignored his still pounding heart, "Then we'll talk."

"C'mon Drake! What did I say? Was it about your crush on Granger?" Draco scooped her up into his arms, his head still spinning with the prophesy. "Granger can wait. Let's get you up to Madame Pomfrey." Melody muttered darkly, but offered no other protest as Draco carried her out of the portrait hole. As the door closed behind them, Hermione Granger stepped out of her hiding place on the stairs, mouth open in shock.


End file.
